How To Prep A Car For Primer, Sealer, And Paint: Custom Painting Tips || Q&A

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Are you thinking about painting your car yourself? It’s a great way to save money, and with the right preparation, it can be a fun project too. In this blog post, we’ll give you some tips on how to prep your car for primer, sealer, and paint. We’ll also answer some of the most common questions about painting cars. So if you’re ready to get started, check out this post.

QUESTION 1: Using AtomX27 HVLP, what is the correct pressure to use for Shopline Epoxy JP375? I seem to be getting a little bit of orange peel, so wanting to know how to fix that since it looked like everything was OK.

So orange peel on primer is not a big problem because you’re going to be sanding that out anyway, it’s not a huge deal. 

But if you want to get smoother primer make sure you’re reducing your primer so it flows out. Because if you’re spraying fully, basically an unreduced primer, just a 4:1 mixture (not reducing it) and you’re spraying it out of 1.3 or 1.4 tip, that’s too thick. 

So you can have to reduce it. Maybe you’re using a 1.8, if you’re using a 1.8 or 2.0 tip size the correct pressure to be spraying at is anywhere from 22 to 25 pounds. I even think 25 is a little too high. 22 to 23 pounds spraying primer is “okay” because your not looking for fine atomization. You just want to get the product on, so that’s a good overall pressure point to be spraying primer.

If you’re spraying it out of a 1.3 or 1.4 also make sure you reduce it and you could still spray at around 20 to 23 PSi. It’s also good to spray at lower pressure to reduce overspray because if you raise up your pressure, you’re gonna get a lot more overspray overall in general when you spraying clear coat or whatever. But with clear coats, you want to make sure you get that atomization so I like to spray at around 25-26 pounds.

QUESTION 2: When dealing with peeling paint will primer filler fill the transition to the level surface for paint, or would I need Bondo?

A primer filler will do it but before you do any type of primer you’re going to have to you’re going to feather all that in sanding. So the transition from your peeled paint to bare metal or to the second primer layer, where you’re sanding is going to be feathered out while you’re sanding, then you prime over that. 

Do you have access to VIP? Because we have step-by-step videos covering all of that in VIP also in the free training. So if you just want to go through the free training, don’t forget to grab it over here at learnautobodyandpaint.com for all you newbies people just getting started. That’s where you got to start ⬇️⬇️⬇️

QUESTION 3: Can you drive around with sealer? Meanwhile, you get the paint?

Yeah, you can. If you’re using a primer-sealer, it’s not gonna hurt. Just make sure before you paint, you have to sand it.

I wouldn’t drive around with a straight sealer, because there is a primer filler sealer and then there’s also a sealer, a 1k sealer, or a two-part sealer where you mix up and seal the car before you paint.

If it’s that type of sealer, then I wouldn’t recommend driving around because like literally after you spray your sealer, you’re gonna wait 30-45 minutes and you’re gonna put your base coat on, that’s the purpose of sealing right before you paint.

But if you’re doing like a to 2K filler primer which I also consider a sealer because some of the brands like PPG and DuPont if you add a little bit of reducer it becomes a sealer, just reducing it down. But I like to always finish that with 400 grit, make sure it’s flat, you got an orange peel paint texture, and then you paint it.

So if you’re using like a 2k filler primer and you’re thinking and you’re telling me that that’s the sealer, that you’re using, then you could drive around with it for a week or two no problem, even a month. And then get your materials but before you paint, you’re gonna want to make sure you clean it, wash it down, sand it and block it out. You get it ready for paint and then you could paint right over that.

QUESTION 4: Best way to prep and paint over the old factory finish?

So if it’s an old factory finish, you could just take it down depending on how bad the finish is. You might have to use a 150 grit or 220-240 grit. You just want to scuff the whole paint out feather everything out. I would 2k filler prime the whole thing and then block it out. Get it down to like 400 grit or 500 grit in that area and then paint it.

QUESTION 5: Can you use sealer and base from 2 different brands?

Absolutely, you can use different brands. You could use one brand of base coat, and then you could use another brand of clear coat, it’s all good. Same thing with sealers and primers.

Just what I would keep the same is the activator. So if you’re putting on a primer, make sure you’re using the same activator for that primer.

Don’t go using a different primer activator for this primer that you’re trying to mix up. But you could absolutely put different brand clear coats over. You could put a House of Kolor clear coat over PPG or over Nason, it doesn’t matter. Because a urethane clear can go over any base coat no matter what it is.

Thank you for always streaming with me. Watch the full video, this might help you out with your Auto Body projects. And don’t forget to check out Zoolaa.com to learn more about ATOM-X Spray Guns and the GunBudd Ultra Lighting System that helps you spray even in the dark to get a glossy finish body paintwork. 

–TONY

For more helpful links:

Kandy Paint Tips And Sanding for Clearcoat

Fiberglass Sanding Tips Before Painting Base/Clear or Candy – Auto Body Q&A

The Correct Way To Paint Metallic Clear Coat: Auto Body Q&A 

Basecoat Clearcoat: HOW MUCH PAINT YOU NEED To Paint Your Car! 

Single Stage or Basecoat-Clear? Which Automotive Paint is better? -Autobody Q&A

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